Why Los Angeles Said No to the Monorail



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00:00 – Disney’s Monorail Dream
01:19 – The Cutting Edge of Urban Transit
02:29 – A Grand Opening at Disneyland
03:45 – The Roots of the Monorail Concept
05:00 – Walt Disney and Axel Wenner-Gren Collaborate
06:18 – From Disneyland to LA: A Bold Proposal
07:44 – Opposition and the Death of the LA Monorail
09:08 – The Legacy of Disney’s Monorail
10:27 – A Visionary’s Urban Transit Dream

Why doesn’t Los Angeles have a monorail? In this episode of It’s History, we dive into Disney’s ambitious plan to transform LA’s transportation network with a futuristic monorail system. Discover how Walt Disney’s innovative vision aimed to solve LA’s traffic problems and why it ultimately failed. From behind-the-scenes politics to logistical challenges, we uncover the untold story of Disney’s monorail dream and the lasting impact it could have had on Los Angeles.

Join us as we explore the history of this ambitious project, the opposition it faced, and how it fits into the broader story of urban transportation in the United States.

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IT’S HISTORY – Weekly Tales of American Urban Decay as presented by your host Ryan Socash.

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33 thoughts on “Why Los Angeles Said No to the Monorail”

  1. I will always have personal transportation "A Car" but it would be great to intergrade personal transportation with a "Clean, Safe, Family Friendly" monorail system. Tie together tourist traps, malls, airports and business/manufacturing districts. Parking garages could located at these locations.

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  2. For the Los Angeles County, CA area, the people wanted the monorail. But, politicians in Sacramento were pushing for a subway (in earth quake country of all places). Well, the subway initiative won.
    The subway cost 10 times the estimated cost to build upon completion. The cost overuns put the state in a financial crisis. The monorail would have cost far, far less.

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  3. I think its entirely possible that automotive centric businesses blocked monorail development in LA. General motors, Firestone, and others formed the National Streetcar Lines to buy up streetcar systems, tear them out, and replace them with busses. You know, the inspiration for the villain of Disney's Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

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  4. My Lego City has a monorail. It runs to the Daily Bugle, a transfer hub it shares with the trams, and a third station over by a small business center, complete with hotel, bike shop, and museum. Sadly, despite the locomotive saying "Airport Shuttle", my Lego City's Monorail doesn't actually reach the airport. If I can get the new layout finished, then it will, but until then, my Airport Shuttle shall not reach the airport. Darn shame really, as the Hindenbrick really could use the extra passengers.

    Reply
  5. Isn't the Las Vegas monorail the same technology as the Disney monorail? I have thought the company attempting to market the Disney tech were successful in Las Vegas. Also i have read the development history of the Disney system and basically it is a toy electric train scaled up for passengers.

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  6. Interesting, thanks. I had the pleasure and fun of working at Disney World in Florida in the late 70s (pre-Epcot but it was in planning). Yup, I was on the monorail crew. We all drove them as well as loaded and unloaded folks, rotating during each shift/day. What a GREAT time.

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